Life After High School
by Bellethiel
Summary: Now that their years at Ouran Academy are over, what's next for Valerie, Kaoru, and the rest of the Host Club? Sequel to Two Roses for One Princess.
1. Chapter 1: The Rest of Our Lives

**A/N: Here it is: the sequel to Two Roses for One Princess! This most likely won't be as long as TRFOP was and it'll probably be fluffier too, just a head's up. Also, if you're going to read this but haven't read Two Roses for One Princess yet, PLEASE read that first! Otherwise the plotline of this story might not make sense. Enjoy the sequel and please don't forget to review! :)**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club belongs to Bisco Hatori. The only things I own are my original characters and the ideas in this story. **

**Life After High School**

**Chapter One: Here's to the Rest of Our Lives**

Looking at the photo on my living area table, I smiled. It was taken on the last day of my first year at Ouran Academy with the members of the school's Host Club. They were not only the subject of every girl's desire at Ouran, but they were also my best friends. There was another photo on the table that featured me with my arms wrapped around the neck of a boy with amber eyes and messy red hair. We both had smiles on our faces, and if you looked closely you could spot the diamond engagement ring on my right hand.

The boy was Kaoru Hitachiin, and he was my fiancé. We had started dating during our first year, and at the end of that year he had proposed to me. I know that most teenage relationships don't last, but our relationship kept getting stronger over the years. By our third year we loved each other even more than when our relationship began, and we were more than ready to get married.

"Mistress Valerie, your guests are starting to arrive." Akemi, my maid, announced.

"Okay, I'll be right down." I smoothed the blouse and skirt I had chosen to wear and went downstairs. Earlier that day I had officially graduated from Ouran Academy, and my graduation party was about to begin. Most of the Host Club members had already graduated by then, but we still kept in touch and got together whenever we could.

My dad was standing in the foyer ready to greet guests along with my best friend Katie. She had yet to graduate given that the school year in the States didn't end until June, but she really wanted to be there for my graduation and the party afterwards. However, I knew that that wasn't the only reason she wanted to come visit.

"So Katie, you excited to see Kyoya again?" I teased.

Katie blushed but nodded. "You bet I am. It's been forever since we saw each other last." Ever since they'd met at my seventeenth birthday party, Katie and Kyoya had been inseparable.

I looked at the clock and saw that it was exactly when the party was supposed to start, and the doors opened to reveal the line of luxury cars pulling into the driveway and the people walking up to the house.

"Val-chan!" As soon as he'd come in, Hunny jumped on me in a hug, making both of us laugh. He hadn't changed one bit!

"Hey, Hunny!" I laughed. Calming down I smiled up at the man standing behind him. "Hello, Mori."

Mori smiled and took me in a gentle hug, which was probably the last thing one would expect from such an imposing figure. "It's good to see you, Valerie. I've missed you."

"Same here." As soon as I said that, Tamaki and Kyoya arrived. Tamaki scooped me up in a hug and kissed me on the cheek, and even Kyoya gave me a hug when he saw me. I then shooed him off to reunite with Katie, and they hardly left each other's side for the entire party.

"Hey Tamaki, is Haruhi still coming?" I asked as everyone who had arrived so far greeted each other.

"Why yes, she should be right behind me…" Tamaki's face paled when he saw that said person wasn't there. "Haruhi's gone missing! But I thought she was here with me!"

"Don't worry, Tamaki, I'm right here. I just had to take a phone call." Haruhi shook her head and embraced me. "How're you doing, Valerie?"

"I'm great. It's wonderful to see you again, Haruhi!"

"Oh, that's a relief!" Tamaki sighed. "Haruhi, please let me know where you are next time, you scared me half to death!"

"He hasn't changed." I shook my head.

"Yeah, no matter how much older he gets he's still as scatter-brained as ever." Haruhi agreed and we laughed. She gave me a kind smile. "I really wish I could take some more time off, I've just been getting swamped with cases to look over." Haruhi had started her lawyer training during the school year, taking her normal classes and classes through a law college to get a degree faster. Just before graduation she'd been offered some on the job training at a really prestigious law firm in Tokyo. When she'd told me she'd been given that opportunity I was thrilled.

"It's okay, I understand. Other than that, how's the training working out?" I asked as we headed out into the garden with the others.

"It's going really well. The call that I took just now was from the law office. They've told me that I seem to have a real knack for law, and they want to hire me as soon as my training finishes."

"That's awesome!" I hugged her, but my face fell when I realized something. "Unfortunately, I have no idea what I want to do. I want to have a job instead of just depending on Kaoru for money."

"What about being a professional photographer? You'd be really good at that, I've seen your photos."

"That's worth considering." I nodded.

"Hey, everyone!" Two male voices greeted us simultaneously, and we knew exactly who they belonged to. I jumped up and ran over to greet the two who had just arrived.

"You look wonderful, Val." Hikaru grinned as we exchanged hellos. "Glad to see our fashion lessons have stuck with you."

"Oh hush, I was never _that_ hopeless!" I stuck my tongue out at him and we laughed. The Hitachiin twins were already making names for themselves in the fashion industry as up-and-coming designers. They'd presented their first collection at Tokyo's fashion week earlier that year, and the fashion industry went wild for it.

"There you are." Kaoru Hitachiin smiled and held out a bouquet of orange roses to me. "Congratulations on graduating."

"Aww, thanks Kaoru." I blushed and hugged him. Right in the middle of the hug we shared a kiss, which made the others laugh and whoop. "You guys are so full of it!" I laughed when we pulled apart.

The party lasted well beyond the time that the invitation said it would end, but nobody really seemed to care. We just sat around talking, laughing, and just enjoying each other's company. I couldn't believe just how lucky I was to have had this many close friends for as long as I did. I didn't want to be considered "popular" in school, I just wanted a few close friends and that was exactly what the Host Club members were to me.

We were all so close that Kaoru and I wanted as many of them as possible to be in our wedding party. I was planning to ask Katie and Haruhi to be my bridesmaids during the party, and I had also asked Kanako Kasugazaki to be one. She and I became friends after the Host Club had helped bring her and her fiancé Torhu Suzushima together. One year later she'd asked me pass along her thanks to the club, and after I'd agreed we started talking and quickly became friends. Fortunately she eagerly agreed to be one of my bridesmaids when I'd asked her.

So far, the wedding party consisted of Kanako, Tamaki, and Kyoya. I watched as Kaoru pulled his twin aside to talk to him, because I knew exactly what was going on.

"Hikaru, we've been through a lot together and I really value how close we are, so I want you to be my best man." Kaoru said. I couldn't hear Hikaru's reply, but given the tight hug they were sharing I knew Hikaru had said yes.

"Haruhi? Katie? Can I talk to you guys for a sec?" I asked, coming over to them.

"Sure." Haruhi nodded. "What's up?"

"Haruhi, I was wondering if you'd like to be one of my bridesmaids."

She smiled. "Absolutely, I'd love to."

I then turned to my best friend. "Katie, will you be my maid of honor?"

"Of course I will!" Katie exclaimed. "You have no idea how happy that makes me."

"And you guys have no idea how happy I am that my best friends are all going to be there for the wedding." I smiled and the three of us shared a group hug. Friends were one of the most important things a person could have in life, and I couldn't have asked for better ones.


	2. Chapter 2: The Planning Process

**A/N: Sorry about the wait for an update, everyone. This chapter is a bit of a filler, but I promise things will pick up more in Chapter Three. Enjoy, and please don't forget to review! :)**

**Chapter Two: The Planning Process**

The dining room table in my house was piled high with magazines, books and photos, and there was even a list of websites buried somewhere underneath all of that. Kaoru and I were at the point when we had to figure out what we wanted to have at our wedding, so we were looking at as many resources as we could to get some ideas. We had hired a wedding planner and had set up some of the basics, but we wanted to have a clearer idea of what we wanted the details to be before discussing them with her, such how we wanted to decorate the location we'd rented for the reception.

"I never knew planning a wedding was this hard." I groaned as I flipped through one of the magazines, this one focusing on kinds of table settings.

"Neither did I." Kaoru agreed. "But at least we have the date set and know what everyone in the wedding party is going to wear."

"That's true." I smiled at him. "And I hope your mom knows just how much I appreciate her helping me with that." I wanted the bridesmaids' dresses and especially my wedding dress to be unique, but I hadn't found any in stores or online that truly stuck out to me. Kaoru had told his mother about that, and she'd called to ask me if I'd like her to personally design the dresses. Now that I knew where I was going to get my dress and that it had actually gotten finished, I was going to see Mrs. Hitachiin for a fitting that day.

Kaoru glanced at the clock that was in the living room. "Valerie, I need to leave so that I can make those appointments, and it's almost time for your dress fitting." He grinned. "Mom's been really secretive about your dress around me. She won't tell me anything about it and I'm not allowed to be alone in her workroom."

"I kind of wanted it that way." I admitted sheepishly. "It's nothing against you; I just want my dress to be a surprise."

"In that case, I can wait because I know it'll be worth it." He kissed me on the cheek. "And don't worry about us not getting everything done in time; we've got a lot done already."

As I rode to the Hitachiin mansion I thought about what Kaoru had said. We'd already set the date, had the invitations made and sent out, chosen the wedding colors and had reserved venues for the ceremony and the reception. In addition to the dress fitting, I was also meeting our wedding planner and the owner of the reception venue to discuss what I had in mind for it. Kaoru was meeting with a chef to plan out the reception dinner, and was then going to meet with a florist to order flowers. We did have a lot done already, so I didn't need to start worrying too much yet.

"Hello Valerie, it's wonderful to see you again!" Mrs. Hitachiin embraced me upon arriving before we went upstairs to her workroom. She was just as fashion-forward and over-the-top as her sons, but she was still a really sweet woman who was fantastic at what she did for a living.

"Same here, I hope I didn't keep you waiting."

"Oh, don't worry about it, you were right on time." She started pulling apart a cluster of clothes racks that were to my right. "I don't know if Kaoru's told you, but he's been trying to get in here to sneak a peek of your gown. But I've made sure he won't see it until the big day."

"He failed to mention _that_." I laughed. "Has Hikaru seen it, by any chance?"

Mrs. Hitachiin grinned. "He has, but he's not giving Kaoru any details. He sure gets a kick out of teasing Kaoru about it." Picturing that made both of us laugh. "So, what do you think of it?"

My wedding dress was a ball gown made out of pale champagne-colored silk. While it was strapless, it featured off-the-shoulder cap sleeves. The gown's overskirt was arranged in a small bustle in the back, and in the front the skirt split in the middle and pinned up at the sides to reveal an underskirt made of multiple layers of tulle that sparkled with champagne glitter. It was exactly what I had wanted. "It's perfect! Thank you so much, Mrs. Hitachiin!" I exclaimed.

"You're very welcome." She smiled. "Go try it on!"

I went into a changing area and Mrs. Hitachiin helped me zip it up in the back. It fit perfectly, and I couldn't resist twirling around in it. The tiara and veil set she was making as well were also finished by then, so I got to try those on too. Every girl dreams of her ideal wedding dress, and she deserves to feel like a princess on her wedding day. I knew I would definitely feel like one wearing this.

"How're the bridesmaids' dresses coming along?" I asked after taking off the dress and putting on my normal clothes.

"They're almost finished, and all the girls tried them on. I just have to add one more detail and then make a couple of alterations to them. Everything will be ready on time, I promise." Hearing her reassurance helped me calm down about this whole thing, even though she didn't know exactly just how stressed I was. Still, she had probably felt the same way back when she got married. All too soon, it was time for me to leave, which I did after thanking Mrs. Hitachiin again.

The meeting to discuss the reception went so much better than I thought it would, and by the end of the day the entire reception had been planned out. I arrived back home feeling like I had accomplished two of the most difficult tasks when it came to wedding planning.

"I'm back." Kaoru called out. It was about eight at night, and I was wrapped up in a blanket on the living room couch with a cup of tea in my hands. He kissed me before joining me on the couch. "How'd things go today?"

"The dresses all fit, and everything's set for the reception." I replied. "What about the stuff you had to work out?"

"I've ordered the flowers, and the menu's all done. I made sure to get you a copy." He handed me a piece of paper, and I read it to see that it had all the food we had wanted. "I got back a bit late because I was checking up on the wedding present I'm going to give you." He smiled. "I'm not telling you what it is, but I know you'll like it a lot."

"Well, you do know how to surprise me." I laughed, but the laugh quickly turned into a yawn. "I'm sorry, I'm just so tired."

"That's perfectly understandable." Kaoru said. "Go get some sleep. You'll feel more up to it for the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner tomorrow."

"Okay." I yawned. After he'd left for the night I took his advice and went to bed. I was able to just fall asleep without my worrying keeping me awake. I was starting to feel that we'd just might be able to get everything ready in time. No matter how stressed out I felt, I was still really excited about the wedding.


	3. Chapter 3: I Belong to You

**A/N: Here's what I've wanted to upload for a long time: the wedding chapter! I love weddings and I wanted to make up for the wait, so I have a nice long chapter here for you. Enjoy, and please don't forget to review! :)**

**Chapter Three: I Belong to You**

I couldn't believe it. After waiting for four years, here I was getting ready for my wedding day. I had woken up that morning feeling more nervous than I'd felt in my entire life, but I was also incredibly excited.

That morning I had discovered the meaning of the word "insanity". I had invited everyone in the wedding party to my house to get ready for the ceremony, and the house was in total chaos. For the most part the guys weren't that bad, but the girls were a different story. We had two hair stylists and a makeup artist on site, as well as Mrs. Hitachiin to help us get dressed if we needed it.

"Oh no!" Haruhi exclaimed from the room that the bridesmaids had chosen for themselves. "Val, some of the jewels fell out of the brooch!"

"Stop right there!" Mrs. Hitachiin rushed in with some jewel glue and I followed to see Haruhi, still dressed in her normal clothes, struggling to relocate the missing jewels on the floor. Once they were all found, we managed to get them glued back on in a matter of minutes. Fortunately the dress looked exactly like it was supposed to: strapless, floor-length, and light gold in color with an intricate crystal brooch placed at the center of the empire waist in the front.

"I'm so sorry." Haruhi sighed once we were sure the crystals wouldn't fall off again.

"Don't worry, this is nothing. You should see some of the things I have to deal with before fashion shows,_ those _are nightmares." Mrs. Hitachiin reassured her.

Back in my room I got into my dress and put my headpiece on. My hair had already been styled into the French twist I'd wanted to wear, so I didn't need to worry about tracking down one of the stylists to do it.

"Knock, knock." I turned around and saw that my dad was standing in the doorway. He was wearing a classic tuxedo with a long black tie, which had a white rose tucked into the jacket's lapel.

"I just can't get over how beautiful you look, honey." Dad said with a proud smile on his face.

"I just can't get over the fact that Mrs. Hitachiin made this dress for me, I can't thank her enough." I smiled back. "Dad, ever since I began my relationship with Kaoru, I'd been dreaming that this day would come, because I could tell right from the start that he was the one I was meant to be with. Do you still approve of him and I getting married, though?"

"Absolutely." Dad hugged me. "Honey, Kaoru is every bit what most men wish they were."

I smirked. "You have any other obvious facts you'd like to share with me, Dad?"

"None right now." He laughed and then his tone turned a bit more serious. "Valerie, I know it wasn't easy for you to get to this point, but you managed to get through it okay. I'm just happy that Kaoru was able to earn your trust. Now that the two of you are getting married, I have the feeling you're going to be happier knowing he'll be there for you for the rest of your life."

"Amen to that." I nodded with a smile. "Well, I have to finish getting ready, so I'll see you later."

"Okay, honey. I love you."

When he left, I sat down and sighed. I couldn't bring myself to say so to Dad, but at that moment I wished my mom was still alive to see the wedding. I felt a few tears escape, but I carefully wiped them away as I didn't want my makeup to smudge. I wanted to enjoy myself that day so I had to focus on the positives, which greatly outnumbered the negatives. Not five minutes after Dad left, someone else knocked on the door. "It's open!"

This time Hikaru came in. He was wearing the outfit all of the groomsmen were wearing: a tuxedo with the jacket, pants and shoes in black while the shirt was white and the vest and tie were the same shade of gold as the bridesmaids' dresses. In his lapel was an orange rose to match the bouquet of orange roses the bridesmaids and I were carrying.

"I just wanted to stop by and say hello to my future sister-in-law." Hikaru smiled.

"So, no hard feelings about your brother getting married to me?" I asked.

"None whatsoever." He nodded. "Hey Valerie, can I be honest with you? It's nothing bad, before you ask."

"Sure you can." I nodded. "What is it?"

Hikaru took my hands in his. "I just wanted to say that I think it's great that you and Kaoru are getting married. You're both absolutely perfect for each other, if you ask me."

"Thank you." I smiled in relief. "That's actually really good to hear."

He smiled back. "I mean it. As close as he and I are, we both knew that someday there would be someone that one of us would fall in love with. Kaoru just happened to be the first to fall in love, and I couldn't have asked for a better match for Kaoru than you."

"Thanks, Hikaru."

"Any time, honey." He gave my cheek a kiss as we shared a hug. "Now, let's get you downstairs. We're all waiting for you down in the foyer."

I nodded and I saw the wedding party's eyes light up when they saw me come down the stairs. I blushed but I managed to laugh it off.

"Val, you look so pretty right now." Katie smiled.

"Yeah, I think Kaoru's going to fall in love with you all over again." Haruhi nodded. I could tell she was fantasizing about getting married to Tamaki, which I thought was really cute. A month after my graduation Tamaki and Haruhi had finally gotten engaged at a dinner party of his. He told Haruhi it was another one of our reunions, but the rest of us all knew he was going to propose that night because he'd told us that was why he was having the dinner in the first place. It was a long time coming, but seeing her face when she saw the engagement ring he'd gotten her and hearing her say yes was worth the wait.

"Thanks, you guys." I grinned. "So, is everyone ready?" When they said they were we piled into our respective limos and drove off to the church, with excited butterflies dancing in my stomach the whole way there.

The ceremony was beautiful. Everything happened when it was supposed to, and Kaoru and I both remembered the vows that we had personally written for each other. Finally, it was time for the best part of the whole ceremony.

"By the power vested in me," the minister smiled, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. Kaoru, you may kiss your bride."

Kaoru took me in his arms and we shared our first married kiss, complete with him dipping me a little with our guests and wedding party applauding and cheering for us.

"Congratulations, you two." Mrs. Hitachiin gave each of us a hug after the ceremony had ended. The other guests had already left, but our immediate families were joining us for some private time before we left the church. "Welcome to the family, dear."

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Hitachiin." I smiled.

"No, from now on I'll have none of that 'Mrs. Hitachiin' nonsense. You're part of our family now, so call me Mom." Hearing that I felt a couple tears escape, but for once I was crying because I was happy. I can't tell you how good it felt to have a mother figure in my life again.

Eventually we both got into our limo and headed to the reception. The guests were already there, anticipating our arrival so that the partying could start.

"Well, here we are." I smiled at my husband. "Together forever."

"Forever and always." He smiled back and kissed me again. "I love you."

I couldn't have asked for a better reception following the ceremony. The ballroom was stunningly decorated in the white and gold theme we had chosen and the chefs had outdone themselves with the dinner they had prepared. The guests were in awe of the ballroom's décor, and all throughout the reception I kept hearing them talk about how great they thought the dinner was.

When the time came for the garter toss and the bouquet toss, all of the guests cracked up when Katie caught the bouquet and Kyoya caught the garter. They both just stared at each other before joining in with the laughter around them. I secretly hoped that this would help encourage them to finally tie the knot.

Halfway through dinner, it was time for the speeches. Mr. and Mrs. Hitachiin had both welcomed me into their family and congratulated Kaoru on choosing me for his wife. My dad then took his turn, saying that while my mom wasn't alive to see that day, he was sure she would've been really proud of Kaoru being my husband, saying that he was just the kind of man she would have wanted me to be with. Since we're being honest I got a little misty-eyed at the end, and Dad and I shared a long hug as the rest of the guests applauded.

Right when the dinner ended, it was time for Kaoru and I to share our first dance. This was something I had been nervous about because I knew so many people would be watching us, but I relaxed when I felt Kaoru's hand on my waist and saw the kind smile he was giving me. The dance itself was set to "Everything" by Michael Buble. It was upbeat and fun to dance to, but the message of the lyrics was clear: no matter what life threw our way, we were still the perfect match for each other. After our dance ended we walked around talking with the guests for a while, who were all eagerly waiting their turns to give us their congratulations and well-wishes. Once all that was done Kaoru and I joined the wedding party and our former classmates who had been invited to the wedding on the dance floor while the older adults talked amongst themselves.

"Look at them." I sighed. Haruhi and I were sitting at one of the tables, taking a break from dancing and watching some of our former classmates dance. Kaoru was hanging out with Hikaru and Tamaki, and Katie was talking to Kyoya someplace. "Can you believe that some of them have babies on the way already? I just hope Kaoru and I will be just as lucky."

"It'll be great once the two of you start planning a family," Haruhi nodded, "but you two should really just enjoy your time as newlyweds and adjust to married life first."

"Yeah, you have a point there Haruhi. I mean, I'm not even sure I'm ready for kids yet." I smiled. "But then again, you're always right about stuff."

"I guess you could say that." Haruhi laughed. "By the way, where did Katie go?"

"Val! Haruhi!" Katie ran over to us, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she showed us her right hand. "Look at this!" An emerald ring graced her slender fourth finger. "Kyoya just proposed!"

"Aww! Finally!" I hugged my best friend. "I'm so happy for you, girl!"

Haruhi brought over three glasses of champagne for each of us and proposed a toast. "Here's to our friendship, the men in our lives, and our promising futures."

"Can I get everyone's attention, please?" Kaoru asked, speaking into the microphone that had been used during the speeches. The party was winding down and people were getting ready to leave. "Before anyone leaves, there's a gift I want to present to Valerie in front of you all." Everyone gathered around the dance floor and I went over to stand with my husband. "Valerie, remember when I told you I had that I was putting together that secret wedding present for you?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Well…" He smiled and held out a small white box. "I think you're going to like this."

I opened the box and saw two keys attached to a key ring that had a white bow tied around it. There was a tag tied to the key ring that read "Welcome Home." I put two and two together, and I almost dropped the box out of shock.

"You bought us a house?" I exclaimed. Given by the gasps and excited comments from the guests and wedding party I could tell nobody had expected this.

"I sure did." He grinned. "And it's brand new too; I had it custom-built for us."

"Kaoru, I…I don't know what to say!" I gave him a kiss. I couldn't believe he had gotten me something like that! When the wedding reception was over, the guests followed us outside and waved goodbye to us as we drove to our new house.

The mansion Kaoru had bought us was unbelievable. It was two stories tall and painted a reddish-brown color. The black front doors had white pillars supporting the archway above it, and the windows and second-floor balconies at the front were also white. As for the interior it was luxurious but very comfortable, so in other words it was nice without being stuffy in the sense that it felt like a museum rather than a home. There was a living room, a kitchen, a family room, a balcony in the back overlooking a large garden, four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a master bedroom with an adjacent bathroom.

Celebrating our marriage wasn't over for us just yet, however. Karou and I were going to spend a couple of days in the new house before flying to Mykonos, Greece for our honeymoon. I was really looking forward to it: the warmth, the beaches, the food…it was going to be great.

Feeling a bit tired I had gone into the bathroom and emerged with my hair down and wearing my cream silk robe, which was firmly tied in place. Underneath the robe, however, I was wearing the beautiful sleepwear that Hikaru had bought and Mrs. Hitachiin had given me in his place at my bridal shower. According to the note that had come with it, he'd bought them so that I could wear them to "take care of business on the wedding night", which had made me blush and my girlfriends laugh and whoop. I shook my head, smiling at the memory.

"Are you okay?" Kaoru asked, wrapping his arms around me.

"Oh, I'm just a little tired from today." I smiled at my husband. "Today was really fun. It was a great day for a wedding, so I can't complain."

"Neither can I. I had a great time today and I got married to the most wonderful woman in the world."

I giggled. I never got tired of hearing Kaoru's words of affection. "So what've you got planned for the rest of tonight?"

"Well, I decided that I'd spend it with my wife, if that's okay with you."

"Of course it is."

"Besides," Kaoru grinned mischievously. "I thought we'd have a little fun upstairs."

I smirked, got off the couch and ran off. "Only if you beat me to the bedroom!"

Laughing, we ran up the up the stairs and down the hall to where our master bedroom was. When I could see the door to our bedroom, I was just a foot away from the door when Kaoru cut in front of me and halted at the door with a very satisfied smirk on his face.

"Ha, I got here first!" He laughed.

"Curse you." I pouted.

"Aw, you know I love you."

"Yeah, you'd better because we _are_ married, after all."

"Valerie, getting married to you is something I'll never regret, I promise." He kissed me softly on the lips. Once I was fully distracted by the kiss, Kaoru scooped me up in his arms and carried me into the bedroom, setting me down on the bed. I then noticed that he was examining me, kind of like the way an art dealer inspects a new painting.

"What?" I asked.

"Aren't you going to let me see what's underneath that?" Kaoru pointed to the robe.

I smirked. "I was hoping you'd ask that." I pulled off the robe to reveal the sleepwear: a pale pink baby doll nightgown. The straps and the skirt hem were trimmed in white lace and I was wearing a pair of pale pink briefs underneath. "How do I look?"

"Absolutely gorgeous." He grinned. "You do know that I'm being extremely patient and not accusing you of stalling, right?"

"Yes I do, in fact. You just have to wait a little longer." I made my way to the bedroom door to close it, making sure I swung my hips as I walked to tease him a little bit.

"Okay, that does it. I can't wait anymore." Kaoru groaned.

"Just a little longer." I shut the door before rejoining him.

Kaoru took my hands and pulled me onto the bed with a purely evil smile. "Now then, Mrs. Hitachiin…"

What happened after those words were spoken? I'll leave _that_ to your imagination.


End file.
